Culture shock rating

Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.

Low

Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.

Medium

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.

High

You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.

Low

Physicality

Physical rating

Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.

Low

Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.

Medium

Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

High

Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.

Low

TOUR SNAPSHOT

“”

The tour exceeded all expectations, highly recommended.

Mr. Nick E., United Kingdom - 21 Mar 2013

I live in the city and learned so many things I didn't know! Dave was SUPER awesome.

Ms. Brittany W., Canada - 22 May 2013

Jason was an awesome tour guide, very informative, fun, and considerate. Very interesting and eclectic sort of tour, everything from the Stanley Cup to cholera and Bansky, PLUS beer to go along. Will definitely be checking out more Urban Adventure Tours in the future. Thank you for the tour!!

Ms. Luanne P., USA - 30 Jan 2014

Tour snapshot

Through fire, war, depression, cholera, rebellion, and repression, beer has been there soothing the woes of Toronto's people. Join them in historic pubs and hear tales of years gone by over a craft beer on this Toronto tour that proves that beer does indeed make history better (like that was ever in doubt)!

Highlights

Discover some fantastic seasonal and local brews, complete with recommendations from your beer geek tour guide

Pay a visit to three unique and beloved Toronto pubs

Meander through the iconic St Lawrence Market, chatting with vendors, admiring the products, and nabbing samples

Explore the Distillery District, one of Toronto’s most historic and regenerated neighbourhoods

Learn that beer really does make history better!

Schedule details

Duration: 4 hours

Meeting point:

Outside the Hockey Hall of Fame (NW corner of Yonge St. and Front St.)

Starting time: 2.00 PM

Ending point:

The Distillery District.

FULL ITINERARY

Throughout its history, from the early 1800s, when Toronto was known as "York" to the modern metropolis it is today, the citizens of this city have used beer for refreshment and merrymaking. This Toronto beer tour is a historic walk through the streets of the old Toronto and an introduction to Canadian beer all rolled into one.

Your Toronto tour will start and end at local icons, visiting a few others in between. With a focus on craft beer made in Toronto and its surrounding regions, this beer tour is known to be one of the best things to do in Toronto. Throughout the tour, you’ll learn about what role beer has played though the decades in helping Torontonians cope with cholera, fire, war, depression, rebellion, muddy streets, general Victorian stuffiness, and decades of losing seasons by the Maple Leafs (of course).

This (now classic) beer tour in Toronto will visit a few unique and historical pubs, all with different atmospheres, patrons, servers, and, of course, beer selection. Your guide will be a verified beer geek, with a love and passion for beer that will be evident from the get go. They’ll be full of recommendations for you, and can easily help you navigate the river of local craft beers you’ll uncover along your journey.

Additionally, because we want to prove why high school history totally wasn’t as fun as this way of learning history, we will indulge you with some historical tales of early Toronto, hoping to give visitors and locals alike a new perspective on the city. Not just wanting to stick to beer, this Toronto tour will also make a stop at the historic St Lawrence Market, where you can sniff out samples (go for the mustard!), and discover why this place has such a solid place in the hearts of Torontonians.

We’ll cap off the tour in the Distillery District, an old industrial park and whiskey factory that has been converted into a hub of art, culture, and cafes. It’s a rather photogenic part of the city, so be sure your camera isn’t out of batteries before you get here!

If you’re going to tour Toronto, we’re pretty sure this is the way to do it. Beer, history, urban icons, and funky neighbourhoods – can you really get much better than that?!

Additional information

Dress standard: Summers can be hot and humid, spring/autumn can be cool, and winters downright frigid with snow. Dress according to weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point.
Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.

Additional Information: Please note that a beer sampling is included at the end of the tour. Drinks may be purchased at stops during the tour. In addition, the “Multicultural Kensington Market and Chinatown” tour begins and finishes before this tour. Consider doing both to make a full day of it!

Child Policy: Children and teens under age 19 are not permitted to join this tour. Photo ID must be supplied to your guide at the beginning of the tour.

Mr. Ken M. from USA travelled on 18 Nov 2014

Mr. Emillie W. from United Kingdom travelled on 18 Nov 2014

Mike was absolutely wonderful! Can't wait to come back and do it again!

Mr. Brad W. from USA travelled on 18 Nov 2014

Great experience with Mike. Would definitely go again!

Mr. Joshua B. from Canada travelled on 22 Oct 2014

Jason was awesome, he did an exceptional job. Lots of fun.

Ms. Pamela D. from United Kingdom travelled on 15 Oct 2014

Jason was an excellent host

Mr. Angela F. from Canada travelled on 04 Oct 2014

I was actually pretty ambivalent about beer before I took the tour.... now I have a new appreciation for it!

Mr. David D. from Ireland travelled on 03 Sep 2014

Tip-top tour, all thanks to Jason's knowledge and genuine enthusiasm. Would recommend the Beer Tour without hesitation.

Ms. Susan D. from USA travelled on 31 Aug 2014

Jason was a fantastic guide and we had a great time. The pace was unhurried. We had plenty of time to enjoy our beers and we learned a lot about Toronto.

Mr. Alex B. from Canada travelled on 02 Jul 2014

My girlfriend and I took a half day on friday and did the Local Beer tour & it was great. We were the only two on the tour (+ a videographer)and we had a blast. The tour guide was very personable and knew tons of neat little facts/stories about the city/pubs & beer. I would definatly recomend to all!

Cheers
Alex

Mr. Ben H. from Australia travelled on 27 Jun 2014

Dan was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. Overall, it was lots of fun and a good way to get to know a part of the city as the local see it.

Mr. James S. from Australia travelled on 22 May 2014

Fantastic tour. Great beer. James was an awesome guide.

Mr. Mark T. from United Kingdom travelled on 22 May 2014

I was the only one booked on this midweek tour. All credit to Urban Adventures and your guide that it wasn't cancelled due to lack of numbers. Great tour and guide. Really made my trip to Toronto memorable.

Ms. Luanne P. from USA travelled on 30 Jan 2014

Jason was an awesome tour guide, very informative, fun, and considerate. Very interesting and eclectic sort of tour, everything from the Stanley Cup to cholera and Bansky, PLUS beer to go along. Will definitely be checking out more Urban Adventure Tours in the future. Thank you for the tour!!

Ms. Brittany W. from Canada travelled on 22 May 2013

I live in the city and learned so many things I didn't know! Dave was SUPER awesome.

Mr. Nick E. from United Kingdom travelled on 21 Mar 2013

The tour exceeded all expectations, highly recommended.

Mr. Jacob W. from USA travelled on 26 Feb 2013

My wife went to Toronto for our honey moon and wanted to do something interesting and fun. Jason took us on a great tour of Toronto, showing us local pubs, local landmarks and a special treat the St. Lawrence Market. We spent a bit over 3 hours touring and learning about the city. Its obvious Jason is passionate about his tours through the way he talks about his city and well beer... It was perfect!

When we travel, we will be looking in to Urban Adventures for cities that we visit... Jason did an awesome job!

Mr. Jeff D. from Australia travelled on 07 Jan 2013

Jason is one of the best tour guides I have ever encountered.

Ms. Cherith G. from Canada travelled on 11 Oct 2012

It was awesome! Thank you!

Ms. Deborah C. from Canada travelled on 07 Sep 2012

Our guide, Jason Kucherawy, was very knowledgeable and personable. The tour was enjoyable, worthwhile, and a super experience.

Ms. Frankie L. from Canada travelled on 01 Sep 2012

My tour guide was Jason and he made the tour fantastic. I've been recommending him and this tour to anyone who will listen!

Mr. David V. from travelled on 30 Aug 2012

Our guide, Jason, was excellent. Friendly, funny and very knowledgeable, He did a great job. You could tell he was passionate about his job and the history involved.

Ms. Amanda I. from travelled on 19 Aug 2012

Fantastic walking tour of downtown Toronto. As an American, I loved learning about the history of Toronto and Canada and I absolutely loved trying all of the different kinds of beers that Canada has to offer. Overall, an excellent tour. I would recommend it to anyone I know going to or already living in Toronto.

Mr. JOHN M. from Canada travelled on 08 Aug 2012

Excellent tour !! Thanks to our tour guide Dave who made this one of the most enjoyable walking tours we've taken...
We had a great time and learned alot of interesting facts along the way !!